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computers and software to Sears, Roebuck, while retail computer stores have been faced with late hardware deliveries and received very little, if any, software. Sears is offering the Atari 400, priced at $549, through its
catalog [1979 Wish Book pages 654-655], and is spot-marketing the machine in its retail stores throughout California and the Chicago area. In addition,
the firm is selling the Atari 800, priced at $999.99, in its California
stores, but not through the catalog, a Sears spokesman said." Electronic
News, December 10, 1979, p. 83.

1980
January 5-8: At the Winter CES in Las Vegas, for the 400/800
($549.99/$999.99), under the banner "Touch the future" Atari introduced the
825 printer (summer), 830 modem (summer), and 850 interface (summer).
Software introduced, announced, or again promised: Computer Chess, Backgammon (never shipped), Checkers (never shipped), Business Simulations (never shipped), Stock Market Simulation (never shipped), Star Raiders, Hangman, Biorhythm, 3-D Tic-Tac-Toe, Music Composer (March), Mugwump (never shipped), Baseball (never shipped); Assembler Editor (previously: Assembler Debug; April), Atari PILOT; Invitation to Programming series; Personal Finance (previously: Home Finance; July 1980; never shipped), Record Keeping (never shipped), Mailing List/Address Book (would ship as: Mailing List), Touch- typing Trainer (would ship as: Touch Typing), 132 Function Programmable Printing Calculator (would ship as: Calculator). (C015700 Rev.1; Touch the Future flyers; 12/79 400/800 flyers) Personal Capital Investment Management software: Atari announced a license agreement to market 8 investment- application programs designed by Control Data Corp. from CDC's Cyberware library, including: bond yield, bond price and interest, bond switch, stock rate of return, stock dividend analysis, stock charting, mortgage analysis, portfolio analysis (WSJ Jan8p37; TVDigest 1/14/80p13) (would ship as the four titles: Mortgage & Loan Analysis, Bond Analysis, Stock Analysis, Stock Charting).

January?: Atari shipped: Computer Chess, 3-D Tic-Tac-Toe, Star Raiders

January: Conrad C. Jutson, formerly Texas Instruments marketing manager for personal computers, and consultant to Atari since November 1979, joined Atari (Consumer) as VP Sales & Marketing, Personal Computers, replacing Robert Hovee who departed the company. (TVDigest 1/21/80p14)

January: Chris Crawford, previously an Atari (Consumer) game designer, transferred to the personal computer application programmers group (reporting to group manager Dale Yocum).

January 21: Atari and Control Data announced an agreement whereby Atari computer systems could be repaired through the nationwide network of Control Data repair centers. Approximately 20 centers throughout the country were open; more were scheduled. (Dr. Dobb's Journal)

Winter: Atari shipped the 810 disk drive with Master Diskette (DOS I developed by SMI), and shipped the 820 printer. ($449.95).

Winter: William (Bill) Kaiser, previously of Xerox, joined Atari (Consumer) in finance.

February 11: The Sears spring-summer catalog featured the Atari 400 at $549, and the Atari 800 at $999. (TVDigest 2/11/80p10)

March?: Atari shipped Music Composer.

March: Science Research Associates (SRA) and Atari announced that SRA would develop educational computer courseware in reading, language arts,
mathematics, science, and social studies, intended for Atari personal
computers used in the home; Atari would have the right to market this
software. Additionally, SRA would have primary responsibility for the sale of Atari personal computers and services to the educational community (public and private, pre-school through university level).

April 9: Atari's petition to the U.S. FCC to rescind the waiver of Class I TV rules granted to Texas Instruments was rejected by the commission. (TVDigest 4/7/80 p11; 4/14/80 p12)

April?: Tandy Trower, previously of WICAT, joined Atari (Consumer) as an evaluator of 3rd party software titles (personal computers). He was hired by Atari (Consumer) Manager of Software Planning (personal computers) Peter Rosenthal.

April 23: George Simcock remained Atari (Consumer) director of software development.

Spring: For the 400/800 Atari had shipped: An Invitation to Programming 1
(PDI; previously: Guide to BASIC Programming), Biorhythm, Hangman, Kingdom, Blackjack (6/1/80 price list)

May 19-22: Atari featured the 400/800 personal computer systems at the 1980 National Computer Conference at the Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim CA.
Also at the show, Personal Software introduced the Atari 800 version (and the Commodore PET/CBM version) of VisiCalc by Software Arts. (The original Apple version had shipped Oct. 1979.)

June 1: Atari increased suggested retail prices for the 400/800. The 400 personal computer system (still 8KiB RAM) was now $630 (previously: $549.99); the 800 personal computer system, now with 16KiB RAM (previously: 8KiB RAM), was now $1,080 (previously: $999.99/8KiB RAM). (TVDigest 6/2/80 p11 and price list)

June 15-18: At the Summer CES in Chicago, for the 400/800 ($630/$1,080) Atari introduced: 815 dual disk drive with DOS 2.0D ($1499.95; never shipped), 822 printer ($449.95), and Light Pen (CX70; $74.95), and again promised the 825 printer ($999.95), 830 modem ($199.95), and 850 interface ($219.95). (CC Sep80p30; 6/1/80 price list) 400/800 software Atari announced or again promised (6/1/80 price list): Mortgage & Loan Analysis (Control Data), Bond Analysis (Control Data), Stock Analysis (Control Data), Stock Charting
(Control Data), An Invitation to Programming 2: Writing Programs One and Two (PDI), An Invitation to Programming 3: Introduction to Sound and Graphics (PDI), Astrology (never shipped), Conversational French (EMI / Longman), Conversational German (EMI / Longman), Conversational Spanish (EMI / Longman), Mailing List, Touch Typing, Calculator, Graph It, Statistics I, Energy Czar, States & Capitals, European Countries & Capitals, TeleLink I (previously: Terminal Emulator), Space Invaders (title by Taito), Assembler Editor. Atari also previewed The Atari Accountant series (by BPI; would consist of: General Accounting System; Accounts Receivable System; Inventory Control System; each package in the series would require the 815 dual disk drive; series never shipped).

Also, Atari had modified the 800 personal computer system package. The 800 would now ship with one CX853 16KiB RAM module installed (previously: one
CX852 8KiB RAM module); the 410 program recorder and Educational System Master Cartridge were removed from the package; the BASIC Reference Manual was added to the package.

Spring/Summer: Dennis Koble, previously Atari (Consumer) software manager, was promoted to director of software development, assuming the role of George Simcock who departed the company (retired).

Months?: Jeff Burton joined Atari International as International Market Manager, and Nancy Garrison, previously of Revlon, joined Atari International as international marketing manager for computer software.

Summer?: Atari (Consumer) game designer Carol Shaw departed the company.

August 19: Shepardson Microsystems, Inc. (staff engineer Paul Laughton for
SMI) completed the File Management Subsystem (FMS) for Atari DOS II.

Summer/Fall: For the 400/800 Atari shipped: 822 printer, 825 printer, 830 modem, 850 interface, CX70 Light Pen, Assembler Editor (SMI), TeleLink I (original "small box" release with 1 hour of access to CompuServe), Space Invaders (original cassette release), States & Capitals, European Countries & Capitals, Mortgage & Loan Analysis, Energy Czar

September: Roger H. Badertscher joined Atari to be president of the new Personal Computer Division, which would be spun off from the Consumer
Division. Badertscher was previously VP and general manager of the microprocessor division of Signetics, an electronics semiconductor manufacturer, and he had developed the business plan for the new division. (InfoWorld 7/26/82p29 for date) Bruce W. Irvine, previously of Control Data, would join Atari (Personal Computer) as VP software. John R. Powers, III, previously of The Authorship Resource, Inc. (ARI; co-founded by Powers and Joe Miller; developers of software for the CyberVision home computer), would join Atari (Personal Computer) as director of software development. Peter Rosenthal, previously Atari (Consumer) manager of software planning (personal computers), became Atari (Personal Computer) director of marketing (reporting to VP Sales & Marketing Conrad Jutson). Tandy Trower, previously Atari (Consumer) evaluator of 3rd party software titles (personal computers), was promoted to software marketing manager (replacing Rosenthal in the role).
Keith E. Schaefer would join Atari (Personal Computer) as National Sales Manager (reporting to Jutson). Chris Bowman, previously director of media services at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, would join Atari (Personal Computer) as national manager of educational sales, as Atari would take the sale of Atari personal computers and services to the
educational community in-house (previously: outsourced to Science Research Associates (SRA)). Bill Kaiser, previously of Atari (Consumer), would be
Atari (Personal Computer) director of finance.

September: The Atari (Consumer) Software Support Group began offering
telephone Customer Software Support for Atari 400/800 users. (AtariConnection v1n1p24)

September 15-December 31: Atari-sponsored dealer promotion: Free 410 plus Educational System Master Cartridge and choice of one Talk & Teach series
title with purchase of 400 computer. Or, free CX852 8KiB RAM module with purchase of 800 computer (which shipped with one CX853 16KiB RAM module installed).

September 16-18: Wescon/80, Anaheim CA, featured speakers including Peter N. Rosenthal, Atari (Personal Computer) director of marketing.

Fall: Robert A. Kahn, previously an educational computer applications consultant (and prior to that, director of the Computer Education Project at the University of California, Berkeley), joined Atari (Personal Computer) as manager, educational software products. Brenda K. Laurel, previously Manager, Educational Product Design at The Authorship Resource, Inc. (ARI), joined
Atari (Personal Computer) as a software specialist for educational applications.

December: At Atari (Personal Computer), Applications group programmer Chris Crawford (having completed Energy Czar and SCRAM) was promoted to supervisor
of the Software Development Support Group.

Atari reportedly lost $10 million on sales of computer equipment of $13
million in 1980 (InfoWorld 9/14/1981)

Atari had sold 35,000 400/800 computers through 1980. (source?)

1981
January 6: Warner Amex Cable Communications, Atari, and CompuServe jointly announced the availability of the CompuServe information service to Columbus
OH subscribers of the Warner Amex QUBE two-way interactive cable television system. An Atari 800 personal computer was lent to the subscriber as part of the service.

January 8-11: At the Winter CES in Las Vegas Atari announced that the 400
would now ship in two versions: original 8KiB RAM version at the new list
price of $499.95 (previously: $630), or new 16KiB RAM version for $630. For
the 400/800 Atari introduced: Asteroids, Missile Command, SCRAM (A Nuclear Power Plant Simulation), Atari PILOT, Conversational Spanish, Atari
Accountant: General Accounting System (BPI; with Business Manager's Companion Guide by Arthur Young & Company; package never shipped), Atari Accountant: Accounts Receivable System (BPI; never shipped), Atari Accountant: Inventory Control System (BPI; never shipped), Atari Word Processor. Also announced: Personal Fitness Program (ultimately released via APX), Personal Financial Management System (replacement for the canceled Personal Finance). Again promised: An Invitation to Programming 2, An Invitation to Programming 3, Astrology (never shipped), Conversational French, Conversational German. (CC Mar81p54; Analog#1; 1981 Software Catalog)

January?: Atari (Computer) operations would move to a new division
headquarters at 1196 Borregas Ave., Sunnyvale CA.

January: Steve Bristow, previously Atari VP Engineering, Consumer Division, became Atari (Consumer) VP Advanced Technology. Gene B. Rosen would join
Atari as VP of engineering for the Computer Division (ComputerWorld
3/16/81p74) (replacing Bristow in the role). Larry Plummer, previously
General Manager, Computer Products at Heath Company, would join Atari (Computer) as director of engineering (replacing Atari (Consumer) director of engineering Niles Strohl in the role). Carl Goy, previously Heath's chief design engineer, would join Atari (Computer) as design engineering manager. Kevin McKinsey, previously Atari (Consumer) industrial designer, would be
Atari (Computer) manager of industrial design and graphics. Brad Saville, previously Atari (Consumer) manufacturing manager (personal computers), would be Atari (Computer) director of operations.

January: Atari (Computer) marketing established a Users' Group Support
Program; Earl Rice would be Marketing Manager, Users' Group Support Program.

January/February: First issue of A.N.A.L.O.G. 400/800 Magazine, published by Lee Pappas and Mike DesChenes. 4000 copies printed.

Winter: Atari shipped: Bond Analysis, Stock Analysis, Stock Charting, Mailing List, Touch Typing, Graph It, Statistics I (Analog#2p47)

February 2: Atari had announced that Conrad Jutson, previously Atari
(Computer) VP Sales & Marketing, was promoted to VP market planning (consumer and computer products). (TVDigest) Atari announced that Rigdon Currie, previously of Xerox subsidiary Diablo, had joined the company as VP marketing for the Computer Division (Compute!#11p166; TVDigest) (replacing Jutson in the role). Peter Rosenthal, previously Atari (Personal Computer) director of marketing (reporting to Jutson), would become Atari (Computer) VP business planning (new position).

February: J. Fred Thorlin joined Atari (Computer) as director of software product acquisition (new position, reporting to VP software Bruce Irvine).
One charge for Thorlin would be to direct the transformation of an internal software development tools exchange program that had been established by applications software supervisor Dale Yocum into a public-facing program
(Atari Program Exchange).

February: Andrew Soderberg, previously a partner at a computer retailer called Computer Connection, joined Atari (Computer) as an assistant product manager. He had been hired by, and would report to, software marketing manager Tandy Trower.

February?: Paul Laughton, previously Shepardson Microsystems, Inc. (SMI) staff engineer, joined Atari (Computer) as a systems software programmer (hired by manager of systems software Brian Johnston).

February 25: The source code to Atari BASIC (including Atari OS Floating Point Package (FPP)), the FMS component of Atari DOS 2.0S (DOS.SYS), and the Atari Assembler Editor were purchased from Shepardson Microsystems, Inc. (SMI) by Optimized Systems Software (OSS), headed by former SMI employees Bill
Wilkinson and Mike Peters.

March: Jim Tittsler, previously Director of Software Development at International Remote Imaging Systems (and before that a Software Engineer at Heath Zenith (Heathkit)), joined Atari (Computer) in engineering.

March?: Atari VP research and development Al Alcorn departed the company. (Alcorn would establish Cumma Research, Inc. on 2/2/83.)

April 2-30: Atari-sponsored dealer promotion: Free $100 subscription to The Source with purchase of Atari Communicator System: choice of 400 or 800 computer with 850, 830, and TeleLink I.

April 3-5: At the 6th West Coast Computer Faire, San Francisco Civic
Auditorium and Brooks Hall, Atari (Computer) announced the Atari Software Acquisition Program (ASAP), which would involve the creation of ASAP regional centers where qualified developers could work with Atari equipment and receive technical assistance (the first ASAP center was expected to open in the Sunnyvale CA area in mid-May), and Atari Program Exchange (APX), a free quarterly mail-order catalog of user-written software (first/Summer Edition
due for publication June 1). Programs accepted for the APX catalog would qualify for $100,000 in prizes to be awarded over the coming year, including a grand prize of $25,000 cash. Bruce W. Irvine was Atari (Computer) VP
software. (see Compute! #12 5/81 p150) The event also featured Atari's
"first annual" invitational hospitality suite for Atari computer users' group officers and their guests. About 20 persons attended, on behalf of about 30 total groups registered with Atari Users' Group Support.

Fred Thorlin remained Atari (Computer) director of software product
acquisition (reporting to Irvine). Dale Yocum, previously Atari (Computer) applications software supervisor, would be APX manager (reporting to Thorlin). Ken Balthaser, previously of the Atari (Consumer) Advanced Technology Group (and prior to that, programmer at The Authorship Resource, Inc. (ARI)), would become Atari (Computer) manager of applications software development
(replacing Yocum in the role).

April 3-5: Also at the West Coast Computer Faire, Optimized Systems Software (OSS) introduced BASIC A+, CP/A (would ship as: OS/A+), and EASMD (enhanced, disk-based versions of Atari BASIC, Atari DOS 2.0S and Atari Assembler Editor, respectively).

April 23-24: An Atari Seminar for developers. The Atari Software Development Support Group included: Chris Crawford (graphics), Lane Winner (BASIC, cassette), Mike Ekberg (OS, DOS), Kathleen Armstrong (Kathleen Pitta), Jim Cox (graphics & utilities), Gus Makreas (assembly language), John Eckstrom
(Pascal)

Spring: First issue of The Atari Connection, the glossy magazine published by Atari (Computer) in support of the 400/800.

Spring: Fred Thorlin, previously Atari (Computer) director of software product acquisition (ASAP/APX), became director of product review and research (new position, remaining responsible for APX; still reporting to VP software Bruce Irvine). Paul V. Cubbage, previously of The Wollongong Group, would join
Atari (Computer) as product review manager (reporting to Thorlin). T.J.
Gracon (Tom Gracon) joined Atari (Computer) as director of software product acquisition (ASAP) (replacing Thorlin in the role; reporting to Irvine).

Spring?: At Atari (Computer): Brenda Laurel, previously software specialist
for educational applications, would remain a software product manager.
(Robert Kahn remained Manager, Educational Software Products.)

May 1: Atari's suggested retail price for the 400 with 16KiB RAM, now to be marketed as The Basic Computer, was reduced to $399 (previously: $630). The 8KiB RAM version of the 400 would no longer be offered. (The 800 Personal Computer System (with 16KiB RAM) retail price remained $1,080.)

May 1-August 31: Atari offered a free CX853 16K RAM Module ($99.95) with purchase of an Atari 800 personal computer; offered the 825 printer at $800 instead of $1000; and offered the 850 interface at $170 instead of $220

May 4-7: At the National Computer Conference in Chicago, Atari announced that the 8KiB Atari 400 was being discontinued and that the price on the 16KiB version was being reduced to $399 (was $630); also, the Atari BASIC
cartridge and Atari BASIC (Wiley Self-Teaching Guide) book would no longer be included with the now "mass market packaged" 400. Other price reductions: CX852 8KiB RAM module now $49.95 (was $124.95), CX853 16KiB RAM module now $99.95 (was $199.95), 820 printer now $299.95 (was $449.95). Atari
also introduced: Personal Financial Management System (PFMS; $74.95), Dow
Jones Investment Evaluator ($99.95; never shipped), Atari Microsoft BASIC ($89.95), Program-Text Editor (would ship as a standalone title via APX), Sorcim Macro Assembler (the latter two titles would ship together as: Macro Assembler and Program-Text Editor). Also introduced: Conversational Italian (EMI / Longman). Additionally, new production units of TeleLink I would include one hour of time on each of: Dow Jones Information Service, The
Source, CompuServe (previously: CompuServe only).

May: Jon D. Ebbs joined Atari, where we would be VP of Consumer Product Service. By January 1982, in support of both Atari Consumer and Atari
Computer division products, the unit would establish a new national network of Atari Factory Authorized Service Centers ("Atari Service Factory Authorized Network"). The new network would replace Control Data Service Centers for Atari computer repairs.

June 1?: Atari released the Atari Program Exchange (APX) Software Catalog Summer Edition 1981, introducing: Newspaper Route Management Program, The Computerized Card File, Text Formatter (FORMS), Lemonade, Mugwump, Avalanche, Outlaw/Howitzer, Preschool Games, Roman Checkers, Space Trek, Castle, Wizard's Gold, Sleazy Adventure, Alien Egg, Chinese Puzzle, Sultan's Palace, Anthill, Centurion, Tact Trek, Comedy Diskette, Graphics/Sound Demonstration, FIG FORTH (this version never shipped), Sound Editor, BASIC Program Compressor (MASHER), BASIC Cross-Reference Utility (XREF), BASIC Renumber Utility (RENUM), Disk Fixer (FIX), Variable Changer, Character Set Editor, Extended WSFN, Supersort. APX also introduced several hardware products: DE-9S with DE51218 Shell (controller plug), 5-pin DIN connector, 13-pin I/O plug, 13-pin I/O socket, DA-15P with DA110963-2 Shell (850 printer plug), DE-9P with DE110963-1 Shell (850 serial plug), 2716 EPROM cartridge. APX location: 155 Moffett Park Dr., Sunnyvale CA

June: Atari (corporate) established the Atari Institute for Educational Action Research, which would award grants of Atari home computer products, cash stipends, and/or consulting services to selected individuals and non-profit institutions or organizations interested in developing new educational uses
for computers in schools, community programs, or in the home. Dr. Ted M.
Kahn, Ph.D., previously Atari educational marketing consultant, joined Atari
as the Institute's executive director; Atari EVP Dennis D. Groth would serve
as chairman. The Executive Committee would eventually include Groth, Atari chairman and CEO Raymond E. Kassar, Atari VP and chief scientist Alan Kay, Atari (Home Computer) VP research and development Steve Mayer, Atari (Home Computer) VP business planning Peter Rosenthal, and Warner Communications VP corporate affairs Roger Smith. The Board of Advisors would include: Dean Brown, Judy Collins, Hugh Downs, Marian Wright Edelman, Roger C. Faxon, W. Tim Gallwey, Sam Gibbon (consultant, Children's Television Workshop and Bank
Street College of Education), Herbert Kohl, Paul Trachtman, Heinz von
Foerster, William (Sandy) Wagner (founder of Computer-Using Educators), Karl Zinn (Atari Action v1n1 Fall82)

June 21: Atari was establishing an Advanced Development Laboratory in New York City, to pursue "advanced consumer products for the education, entertainment and professional markets." Projects were anticipated in areas including computer graphics, system architecture, telecommunications, and computer languages. (NYT 6/21/81 pF41)

Month?: Mark A. Lutvak, previously product program general manager at Memorex, joined Atari (Computer) as product manager, marketing, replacing Stephen Davis who departed the company (to Corvus Systems Inc.).

Month?: Engineer Ajay Chopra, previously of Burroughs Corporation, joined
Atari (Computer) in engineering.

Month?: In West Germany, Steve Molyneux, previously of American Express Military Banking, joined Atari Elektronikvertriebs GmbH as computer software development manager. He was recruited by Atari International marketing
manager for computer software Nancy Garrison.

Month?: The Atari Software Development Support Group released De Re Atari. Atari made the book available to registered developers.

Summer?: Barry Berghorn, previously of Memorex, joined Atari (Computer) as sales & marketing VP, replacing Rigdon Currie who departed the company. (WeeklyDigest 1981p.dxxx/530)

Summer?: J. Peter Nelson joined Atari (Computer) as public relations manager.

Summer: Atari sold the rights to their Talk & Teach series of educational software titles, plus the Educational System Master Cartridge, back to the developer, Dorsett Educational Systems.

Summer: By mid-1981 Atari had sold over 50,000 400/800 computers to date. (InfoWorld 9/14/1981)

Summer: Atari shipped: Atari 810 Master Diskette II (DOS II version 2.0S developed by SMI/Atari), Conversational Spanish, Conversational French, Conversational German, An Invitation to Programming 2, An Invitation to Programming 3, SCRAM (A Nuclear Power Plant Simulation), Missile Command, Asteroids, Atari Word Processor, plus TeleLink I new "large box" version with one hour of time on each of: Dow Jones Information Service, The Source, CompuServe

August 1: In the UK, Atari consumer products distributor Ingersoll Electronics shipped the Atari 400/800 computers (new UK versions for PAL I; 345 pounds / 645 pounds incl. VAT; both with 16KiB RAM).

August: James Alan Cook (Jamie Cook) joined Atari as VP and Counsel of Atari's Computer division.

August 26: Date of the internal Atari document "Z800 Product Specification, Revision 1" reflecting early work that would lead to the release of the
1200XL computer.
See: http://www.atarimuseum.com/computers/8BITS/1200xl/1200xl.html

September 1?: Atari released the Atari Program Exchange (APX) Software Catalog Fall Edition 1981, introducing: Data Management System, Financial Asset Management System, Decision Maker, Banner Generator, Personal Fitness Program (previously announced for Atari's main 400/800 product line), Blackjack Tutor, Mapware, Video Math Flashcards, Dice Poker, 747 Landing Simulator, Eastern Front (1941), CodeCracker, Domination, Terry, Bumper Pool, Reversi, Minotaur, Lookahead, Babel, Wizard's Revenge, Chameleon CRT Terminal Emulator, Diskette Librarian, Disk Fixer (FIX) Rev. 2, BASIC Utility for Renumbering Programs (BURP), BASIC Utility Diskette, Screen Dump Utility, Load 'n Go, BLIS, Developer's Diskette. APX also announced their full software product line for sale via download from CompuServe MicroNET. One hardware product was modified: DE-9S with DE110963-1 Shell (controller plug).

September 1: New production Atari 810 disk drives would contain an External Data Separator Board. (810 Field Service Manual p.1-9)

September 1-October 31: Atari offered a free Atari Word Processor with the purchase of an Atari 800, 810 disk drive and two additional 16K RAM Memory Modules.

September 3-7: Atari computer distributor Adveico launched the Atari 400/800 (new PAL versions for PAL B/G; L. 985.000 / L. 1.990.000) in Italy at SIM- Hi.Fi in Milan. (MCmicrocomputer #1 back page; #2 p19-20 for prices)

September 10-12: Atari distributor Ingersoll Electronics introduced the Atari 400/800 at The 4th Personal Computer World Show at the Cunard Hotel, Hammersmith, London.

September: Atari opened their Advanced Development Laboratory at: 300 E. 42nd St., New York NY. Steven T. Mayer, previously Atari SVP engineering, became Atari VP research and product development and Atari (Computer) VP research and development, and had transferred from Cyan Engineering to establish and head the new Atari NY Lab. (WCI PR 7/13/84 except year) Advanced Development Group personnel would eventually include: Gregg Squires (manager of hardware engineering; previously of Racal Vikonics), Robert (Bob) Card (hardware engineer; previously of Racal Vikonics), Steven Ray (previously of Racal Vikonics), Steve Radosh (manager of software engineering), John R. Zeno, Sanford A. Driskin, Joel Moskowitz, Philippe des Rioux, Glenn Boles,
Risa Rosenberg.

September 18-23: At SMAU in Milan, Atari computer distributor Adveico
continued the launch of the Atari 400/800 in Italy. (MCmicrocomputer #1 back page)

October: Dr. Alan Kay, previously a Xerox Fellow at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), joined Atari to establish and head Atari Corporate Research as VP/Chief Scientist (InfoWorld 5/21/84 for date) (replacement for the departed Al Alcorn). Reports to Kay would include VP research and development Steve Mayer (Atari NY Lab).

October?: The Warner Communications L.A. Lab R&D unit (QUBE cable television system development), located at 3701 Oak St., Burbank, CA ("Fantasy Trailer"
on the Warner Bros. Ranch), was shifted to Atari Corporate Research. Engineer Steven J. Davis would remain director of the Atari L.A. Lab, now as Atari director of advanced research (reporting to VP/chief scientist Alan Kay). Others at the L.A. Lab would include: H. Robert Newman (Rob Newman; research engineer and engineering manager), Jim Wiefel

October: Brenda Laurel, previously an Atari (Computer) software product manager, would be promoted to manager, software strategy and marketing, replacing Tandy Trower who departed the company (to Microsoft).

October 15-18: The Northeast Computer Show (NCS) at the Hynes Auditorium, Boston MA was attended by 50,000. For the 400/800 Atari featured Missile Command, Asteroids, the Atari Word Processor, Personal Financial Management System, States & Capitals, Conversational Italian, Conversational French, Conversational Spanish. Atari (Computer) VP business planning Peter Rosenthal was a featured panelist at the show, alongside Microsoft president William H. Gates (Bill Gates), Commodore president H.E. James Finke, Radio Shack VP Jon Shirley, IBM Personal Computers director Philip Estridge, and Apple Computer president A.C. (Mike) Markkula.

October 19: InfoWorld reported that a new home accounting system for the Atari 800 would replace the Atari Accountant. The new system (would ship as: The Bookkeeper) would be designed expressly for the home market, would work with the 810 disk drive, and was to be ready for delivery in the first quarter of 1982. (p37) (The 815 dual disk drive, along with the Atari Accountant series that would have required the 815, and the Atari Word Processor version for the 815, had all been canceled, never shipped.)

October 20: At Atari (Computer), Brian Johnston, previously manager of systems software, had become a product coordinator. Lou R. Tarnay, previously of GTE Sylvania, had joined the company as systems development manager (replacing Johnston in the role). Direct reports to VP software Bruce Irvine included: T.J. Gracon (software product acquisition (ASAP)), Paul E. Liniak (product coordination), Fred Thorlin (product review and research (APX)), J.P. Romanos (product test), John Powers (applications & development systems), Tarnay (systems development), vacant (international). Reports to Thorlin included product review manager Paul Cubbage and APX manager Dale Yocum. Reports to Powers included Ken Balthaser (applications) and Chris Crawford (development support). Reports to Tarnay included Paul Laughton (operating systems supervisor).
https://archive.org/details/AtariHarryStewart

October 20: Atari, Inc. was awarded U.S. patent 4,296,476 for 18 claims by inventors Steven T. Mayer, Jay G. Miner, Douglas G. Neubauer, and Joseph C. Decuir regarding their "Data processing system with programmable graphics generator" (the Atari 400/800 hardware platform).

October 26: As part of the Atari Software Acquisition Program (ASAP), Atari
had opened its first Regional Software Acquisition Center. (InfoWorld 10/26/81 p1) The center was managed by Steven H. Gerber, and was located in the location that also housed the Atari Program Exchange (APX): 155 Moffett Park Dr., Sunnyvale CA

Fall: At Atari (Computer), Keith Schaefer was promoted from National Sales Manager to sales VP (WeeklyTVDigest 1981p.dcclxv) and Don Kurtz (of the Kurtz
& Tarlow agency) would be hired as director of marketing services (see

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